Book Title: Doctrine of Jainas
Author(s): Walther Shubring, Wolfgang Beurlen
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

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Page 248
________________ 232 DOCTRINE ON THB JAINA: in Mahāvidehamwe find (Jambudd. 71b) at an altitude of 10 joy. both to the south and the north a so-called vijāharasedhi, i e. a line of seats (nagar'āvāsa) numbering 50 in the south and 60 in the north reserved for this human species gifted with magic power i § 181). 10 joy. above there are two equal Jines for the ābhrog (iyla deva, and another 5 joy. higher, on the top level, there follow the residential quarters of many Vānamantara gods. Equally located on the Long Veyaddhas as well as on the Citta- and Vicitta-Kuda, the two twin hills, and on all 200 mountains of gold in Devakurã and Uttarakură we have the seats of the Jambhaga gods (Viy. 653b) who devote themselves to pleasure, play and lust Their contentedness grants glory, their anger infamy. So it is they who, equally as servants of the Vesamana, 1 greatly add to the riches in Mahāvīra's parental home. $125. Among the acknowledged gods those of the stars (Joisiya dede) are considered to belong to the centre world. The star gods are (acc. to Țhān 302a) the moons, the suns, the planets, the Naksatras and all fixed stars (tārā-gana). Cand(im)a and Sūr(iy)a are considered their princes. All these gods, however, scarcely show any personal traits. Acc. to Sūrap. 285b there were people who supposed the moon and the sun to be incarnated souls or either both dead and soulless, as solid or hollow, as morally (by utthâna, kamma, etc.) or materially (by lightning or thunder) effective or uneffective. In the face of these assumptions, however, it is more correct to say that, in fact, they are powerful and magnificent gods, individuals that take an active part in the up and down of the sequence of existences (comp. Sürap. 17).: Their names of Sasi aud Aicca are defined (Vıy. 577b=Sūrap 291a) as 1 Vesamana-pkumdadhara Jin 89 98 (kunda in the comm =āyattatā, dynā) Preferably Ves - kun daladhara Ayār II, 15 IV, though apparently this is said of thc Logantıya gods ($ 134), in the Jinac they go by the name of finya jambhaga 2. Rational definitions as the following arc by no means sporadic among the padivatlı of the Sürap 3. When their life has come to an end, they are replaced by 4 or 5 gods of the next lower rank until their likes will incarnate (Jiv 346b)

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